Carrie Fisher Lives Forever Thanks to The Last Jedi
Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher may have passed away last year, much to the sorrow of generations of fans, but soon after her untimely death it was revealed that the actress' role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi had already been completed. General Leia Organa would have one final go in her never-ending battle against the evil of the galaxy.
And yet, the question remained: How would Lucasfilm and director Rian Johnson deal with Fisher's death? Would the film be modified in some way to kill off Leia or otherwise write her out of the action in preparation for her absence in Episode IX? Would the star's passing be reflected onscreen in some way? As it turns out, Johnson found a way to deal with the situation in a remarkably moving and brilliant way.
7 Major Star Wars Events That Didn’t Happen in The Movies
Paramount Sets Release Date for G.I. Joe 3
Paramount has set release dates for three of its biggest upcoming movies, including the next G.I. Joe film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the third G. I. Joe movie will open in theaters on March 27, 2020. It'll most likely be a reboot with a more millennial approach, as reported a few months ago.
Director D.J. Caruso revealed earlier this year he wanted to make G.I. Joe 3 a Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover film. However, Paramount and Hasbro ultimately decided against bringing the two franchises together for various reasons, with the two companies reassessing the project.
Does Palpatine’s Warning Hint at Rey’s True Origin?
Another Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker trailer has arrived, but nothing has yet disproved this theory of where Rey began and where she's headed. In fact, in light of the history of misdirection in Star Wars trailers, hearing Palpatine's voice say "your coming together... is your undoing" suggesting that Rey and Kylo Ren uniting against a common foe actually points to it meaning something completely different. It could, for example, mean that Rey and her fellow clones meeting is what Palpatine had planned... ever since his previous plan resulted in him being tossed down a garbage chute.
Hugely Popular Arena of Valor Launching in US Tomorrow
I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of the most popular game in the world. Odds are you probably don’t know much about its developer either, which owns League of Legends developer Riot Games, more than 80% of Clash of Clans developer Supercell, nearly half of PC legend Epic Games, and roughly a quarter of Activision Blizzard.
Arena of Valor, developed by Chinese tech giant Tencent, has a ludicrous amount of people playing it. Its player base mirrors the similarly ludicrous reach of the company that makes it, which recently became the 10th largest company in the world overall. While Arena of Valor has only just started stretching outside of China, the mobile MOBA has over 200 million registered players and regularly hits 80 million daily active users.
Dragon Quest Builders Switch Release Date Announced
A release date for the Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Quest Builders has been revealed. Square Enix has announced that the sandbox Dragon Quest spin-off will launch on February 9 and includes a handful of new items and features exclusive to Nintendo’s hybrid console.
Dragon Quest Builders for Nintendo Switch will mostly feature the same content as its original release, including the ability to upload your creations, as well as download other player built creations using the game's free-build Terra Incognita mode. The Switch version will also include rare materials and additional crafting options not found in the previous release - although details still remain limited as to what those options will be. Additionally, the Switch version will allow players to battle enemies while riding the Great Sabrecub.
New Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Theme Park Concept Art
Disney Parks' upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park will let you ride the Millennium Falcon.
In a recent post on the Disney Parks Blog, new details about some of the upcoming Star Wars attractions were revealed, one of which is Han Solo's trusty space ship. You'll walk through the Falcon's hallways, which are authentically recreated with painstaking detail, before flying her yourself.
A look inside the Millennium Falcon. Image via Disney Parks Blog.
2017’s 17 Biggest Genre Movie Box Office Flops
Even though Star Wars: The Last Jedi is expected to become the biggest hit of the year, its inevitable success is still not expected to alter Hollywood's perception that this year's box office has been a disappointment overall. This past summer alone was the worst summer movie season the film industry had endured in over a decade, and there have been plenty of other dry spells throughout the year as well.
While once solid franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers may have all cracked the domestic box office's Top 25 in 2017, they all still posted the worst returns in their respective series. Other movies -- such as Baywatch, Alien: Covenant, and The Mummy -- were flops at home, but grossed enough overseas to, while still not anything for Hollywood to be thrilled about, at least lessen the sting for their respective studios.
New Zealand Deems Loot Boxes Not Gambling
Video game loot boxes are not gambling, according to New Zealand’s gambling regulator.
Speaking to Gamasutra, the Gambling Compliance office of New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs said, "the Department is of the view that loot boxes do not meet the legal definition of gambling."
Trish Millward, a licensing compliance manager at the Department of Internal Affairs, said her office has been closely following the current loot box discussion that's happening around the world and doesn't believe loot boxes qualify as gambling as it's defined under New Zealand’s Gambling Act 2003.
18 Best Horror Games of 2017
2017 turned out to be a fantastic year for horror games. A beloved old franchise returned to its roots in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The 2015 hit SOMA finally launched on Xbox One and unveiled its all-new Safe Mode, making it a great time for new players to dive in. More than a handful of smaller indie gems shined through the big-name franchises, and a few even housed secrets darker than we could've imagined.
Here are the best horror games of 2017.
